DUBLIN – Senior Jerena Purdie sank the game-winning free throw with 2.7 seconds left to lift West Bladen to a 47-46 victory Monday night over Pender in the opening round of the Four County Conference Tournament.
Pender took a 43-39 lead with 3:16 on the clock, but senior Akira Grimes nailed West Bladen’s only 3-point shot of the game to pull the Lady Knights to within 43-42 with 2:09 remaining.
Taylor Marshall who topped the Lady Patriot scoring with 19 points drilled a 3-point shot at the 1:29 mark to push the Pender lead to 46-42.
Junior Patience Parker drained a 14-footer from the lane to trim the margin to 46-44 with 53 seconds left.
A steal by senior Laikyn Pait regained possession for West, and Grimes raced to the basket off of a side-court out-of-bounds play to drop in the tying lay-up with 29 seconds remaining.
A Pender shot sailed out of bounds, and Purdie was fouled after grabbing an offensive rebound to set up the winning free throw.
“The defense in the last 48 seconds got us the win,” said West Bladen Coach Rick Rhoda. “We have been preaching tough defense all year. We didn’t play our best, but we kept the pressure on.”
“Akira had a key play there at the end,” continued Coach Rhoda. “Early in the game Jerena gave us great play in the paint, and we did a great job of getting the ball to her.”
Purdie topped the Lady Knight scoring with 19 points, and Parker finished with 9 points and a team-high 4 assists, and Grimes followed with 7 points.
Senior Logan Autry totaled 6 points, and Pait filled the stat sheet with team-highs of 9 rebounds and 7 steals to go with her 6 points.
Marshall threw in a trio of baskets, and teammate Ratavia Merritt tallied 4 of her 12 points in the opening quarter as Pender edged ahead 12-11. Purdie dropped in 4 points for West in the period, and Autry, Pait and Grimes added a basket each to keep the Lady Knights close.
Purdie battled inside for 2 baskets and 3 free throws in the second period. She muscled in a follow to tie the game 24-24 at halftime. Parker pumped in 2 baskets, and Pait hit 2 free throws in the quarter.
Autry drove for a lay-up and canned 2 free throws to start the second half. Purdie turned assists from Grimes and Pait into lay-ups as the Lady Knights built a 32-27 lead with 4:33 remaining in the quarter.
Merritt popped in a couple of short jumpers, and Marshall hit from the baseline as the Lady Patriots closed the quarter with an 8-0 run that produced a 35-32 lead.
Purdie made a free throw and put back a rebound, and Parker connected from 15 feet as the Lady Knights tied the game 37-37. A Pait follow shot tied the game again 39-39 with 4:54 remaining.
The Lady Knights improved to 12-13 and advance to a Wednesday night semi-final against top-seeded Clinton at Pender.
“We have got to keep the same defensive principles that we used tonight,” said Coach Rhoda. “We have got to have a tough mind-set and believe that we can play with them.”
WEST BLADEN (47) – Conner Brisson, Mikayla Winebarger, Patience Parker 9, Logan Autry 6, Indiyah Williams, Laikyn Pait 6, Jenna Dove, Elizabeth Allbright, Akira Grimes 7, Jerena Purdie 19.
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